The Opelousas courier., 1887-05-14
THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE PRIVATE APARTMENTS IN
THE EXECUTIVE MANSION.
How They Are Decorated and Fur
nished and Pervaded by a Wo-
manly Presence A Peep
at Presidential Privacy.

No greater contrast can be imagine
than that between the east and west es
tremities of the second floor of the Whit
House, writes Hester NJ. Poole in tn
New York Commercial. In the one az
waiting rooms and the offices of the chic
executive; in the other, the private sit
ting and sleeping rooms of the family o
the President. Here congregate diplo
mats, statesmen and office seekers; ther
fits a youthful figure, sparkling witt
careless happiness. Only a few feet sep
arate the centres of official and Of socia
1ife-yet what a space divides them.
The west corridor, directly over tina
separating the state and family dining
rooms, is sufficiently commodious ane
pleasant to be used as a private s%ittins
room, in place of any specially arranged
for that purpose. Forty feet long b.
nearly half that width, the stairway en-
croaches but little upon its spaciousness
A low, semi-circular window, ten feet
wide, overlooking the magnificent state
building at the west, and a skylight o.
stained glass, lately added, give ample
light.
Indeed, it is a very inviting spot The
administer carpet of wine color, amber
and blue, harmoniZes sufficiently well
with the light gray walls, which are fin.
ished with a frieze of japanese figures and
a ceiling of silver and brown. Ebony
cabinets bearing treasures of porcelain,
alabaster and bronze break the corner
angles; ebonytables, over which are flung
scarfs of old gold and crimson, stand in
elegant confusion, a long pier glass re-
fleets the graceful form of the mistress of
the mansion, and Turkish chairs and
lounges WOO to revery and repose. Many
a womanly touch on every hand betrays a
charm that only delicacy and refinement
can command.
On either side of the deep-seated,
quaint west window, draped with Madras
muslin, and bordered with jeweled glass,
are stands of growing plants, and the cor
ridor is rendered brilliant with one of
those luminous canvases, by Bierstadt,
which seems to palpitate with light.
Here it is that all the ladies of the White
House-espccially the immediate prede-
cessor of Mrs. Cleveland-have infor-
mally entertained their intimate friends.
On .,ither side of the corridor, portierrc-
covered doors give entrance to the private
chambers, That on the north front over
looking Lafayette square and separated
only from the western corner by Il narrow
room now used as a private sitting room
by Mrs. Cleveland, was retitted for Mr..
Arthur's occupancy after the death of
General Garfield. The chamber, about
twenty feet square, remains almost exactly
as it was during the occupancy of Mr..
Arthur. Not so the long, narrow
room adjacent on the west, used as a
sleeping chamber, dressing room or office,
accordingt to the requirements of thehouse-
hold; it has now reached the dignity of
the boudoir of the youthful mistress, who
sheds over this portion of the domicile
the radiance of her winning presence.
Gone is the office furniture with which it
was filled before her advent; its place is
filled with all sorts of things calculated to
make9 beauty-loving woman comfortable
and content. The old gray-green walls
shine with blue and gold, and the hang
lngs OF the SAM coiors are enliyened. here
and there, with touches of red. Here
birds, dogs and cats of rare breeds form
the nucleus of a happy family, and here |
the bright, CHEEKY young mistress finds
relief from those formal receptions which
must sorely tax the patience of even the
gayest and sweetest-tempered soul.
The portion north of the corridor has
never before been, taken blythe family Of
the President on the other side, the south
side, with its far outlook over the sinu-
Gus Potomac and the blue hills beyond,
are situated those room which are filed
with "reminiscences of the last half-cen-
fury. Directly opposite the blue room is
dainty chamber occupied last year by
Miss Cleveland, the same in which Gar
field spentthose long weeks of patient suf-
In the red room, then given up to
The use of his attendant physicians, Grant
and before that Lincoln there nightly
laid the head that grew weary unto death
the weight of a nations woes. Be
fore him, these two rooms were occupied
by Buchanan and Pierce and their prede-
oessors.
To-day General Garfeld's room, occu-
pied by Mrs. Folsom whenever. she visits
ihe White House, is as bright and CHEEKY
IS possible. It was Miss Cleveland's
chamber, and the narrow dressing-room
the west, opposite Mrs. Cleveland's
private sitting-roon, contained her desk
library. Seated in the corner over
the State Department and the
IoVely view to the south, the sister of the
resident sought that congenial literary
occupation which was her peculiar relief
official duties.
The red chamber, or Prince of Wales
Dom, asst is sometimes called, was fitted
Up many years ago when the heir of the
throne made his only tour
through this country. Situated next to
he o just described, it will be re-
rendered as that in which Garfeld's
physicians held their famous consulta-
ions. Furniture of solid rosewood, cur ,
and hangings of dark, mixed colors,
n which crimson and gold are dominant, !,
cabinet Of curious Japanese, workman
hip, sevres vases of fine quality-these :
re its principal features. !.
Next comes the library. formerly used
s the sitting-room. Through the en- ]
oachments of official business it is now
he private office of the President. Here
e may be seen by the privileged visitor .
day after day at his desk in front
f the window, through which the sun )
treams IN over his shoulder. Though there .
nothing wonderful about it, this ,
Iesk has q history. Years age, after in
redible hardships, in search Of Sir John J
rankin, the staunch English ship Reso- :
ute was abandoned by the crew in the !
Lrctic Ocean. A portion of the heart Of :